It wasn’t problematic for Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph players to get out of bed at sunrise
and bus to Value City Arena for a Division IV state tournament semifinal yesterday at 10:45
a.m.

“We just treated it like it was a school day,” guard Duane Gibson said.

The Vikings also knew that sleeping through their alarms would not wash with coach Babe
Kwasniak, a United States Military Academy graduate and former Army captain.

After a sluggish first half, VASJ played like the Division I team many people say they resemble
in overwhelming Troy Christian 67-36 before 8,986.

The Vikings (24-4) will play for their fifth championship and first since 1995 at 4:30 p.m.
today. Kwasniak played for his father, Tedd, on the school’s title teams in 1994 and ’95.

“We’ve talked about how much talent we have, but talent without discipline is like an octopus on
roller skates,” Babe Kwasniak said. “Being mentally tough is much more important than talent. I do
believe that you can teach mental toughness.”

Taking after their coach, Gibson and forward Demonte Flannigan gave teammates a talking to in
the locker room at halftime. VASJ led 29-22.

“I just told my teammates that we had to pick it up defensively,” Gibson said. “We had to make
fewer mistakes.”

Coach Ray Zawadzki said Troy Christian (26-3) has not played anyone the caliber of the
Vikings.

“It isn’t just the players,” he said. “They are well-coached. They knew what we were going to
do.”